Sexually transmissible infections

In 2015, there was an estimated 260,000 new cases of chlamydia in 15 – 29 year old Australians, of which only 28% were diagnosed. STIs cause significant health problems that particularly affect women and children, such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth and pelvic inflammatory disease.

STIs in Australia disproportionality impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Rates of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and infectious syphilis were 3, 10 and 6 times greater than the non–Indigenous population in 2015, with even more substantial differences in remote and very remote areas. A significant proportion of our STI research is conducted in close collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Our STI work extends to the Asia-Pacific region, where we are improving health outcomes for the populations most affected by STIs. We are currently conducting a large trial in Papua New Guinea to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of antenatal testing and immediate treatment for STIs to improve pregnancy outcomes. We also conduct a number of research projects around human papilloma virus or HPV. We are conducting a world-first clinical trial to determine whether new treatments can clear pre-cancerous HPV-associated lesions. We are also involved in the evaluation of the National HPV Vaccination Program.